August 20, 2009

Categories:

The United Health Group, a major insurer seen as playing the politics of reform better than most, is denying a report that it directed its employees to attend tea parties opposing the Democratic plans.

The insurance giant, with about 75,000 employees, confirmed another element of the report, however: That its employees' talking points include opposition to a public option for health insurance.

TPM reported yesterday being told by a source that the company's operators were directing employees to protests against administration plans.

A spokesman for United Health, John Parker, flatly denied the anonymous source's characterization.

"That’s absolutely categorically wrong," he said. "We have never encouraged our employees to attend Tea Parties. The information we provide our employees is publicly available information about town halls sponsored by members of Congress. ... The links that were provided [in the report] are not links that we provide."

Parker said the company's stance is "extremely neutral," and provided the talking points circulated to employees, which advocate the insurance industry's basic stance: An openness to "bipartisan" reform, but staunch opposition to a public plan.

"Our company is very concerned that a government-run health plan would be a road block to meaningful health care reform. It would significantly increase costs for individuals and families, would add billions of dollars in new liabilities to the federal budget, would break down the current health care system upon which more than 160 million Americans rely, and would violate the President’s commitment that those who like their current coverage can keep it," says one of the company's eight talking points, offered by company operators to employees attending town hall meetings.

The full talking points are after the jump.

Health Care Modernization Talking Points:

* UnitedHealth Group supports bipartisan, comprehensive health care modernization.
* Our company is playing a constructive role in the health care modernization discussion, engaging with the Administration, Congress and industry leaders in support of sustainable reform that will slow future health care cost growth while still delivering quality medical coverage.
* Our industry has been innovators in developing best practices that achieve this goal - these include efforts from far-reaching administrative reforms that slash paperwork to initiatives that reduce medical errors, all to ensure that doctors and hospitals can focus on patient care.
* UnitedHealth Group, in partnership with physicians, hospitals and other care providers, has developed proven initiatives that government could undertake today to slow future health care cost growth, including institutional preadmission programs to manage illnesses and prevent avoidable hospitalizations, clinical evidence-based care management tools, and rewards for physicians for providing comprehensive medical care. It is critical that sustainable health care reform be passed that will not only expand coverage and improve quality, but also will slow the growth of health care costs.
* Our industry’s proposal for health reform brings everyone into the system, guarantees coverage for all Americans, does away with pre-existing condition limitations, and ends ratings based on health status and gender.
* The approximately 75,000 men and women of our company work passionately every day to help people lead healthier lives.
* Our company is very concerned that a government-run health plan would be a road block to meaningful health care reform. It would significantly increase costs for individuals and families, would add billions of dollars in new liabilities to the federal budget, would break down the current health care system upon which more than 160 million Americans rely, and would violate the President’s commitment that those who like their current coverage can keep it.
* We are committed to the enactment of a uniquely American approach to health care reform and bipartisan reforms that build upon what is currently working and that ensure those who like their current coverage can keep it.

why is Obama was so hellbent to force everything Socialist down our throats? Heres a little thing the MSM left out during the election ...he was actually a member of the Socialist party in Chicago!
Here's the Link: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=107418

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think that private employers in any industry should be distributing talking points - for or against - any political policy. Politics like that should be kept out of the workplace and left to activism groups and lobbying organizations. The minute a place of business starts giving "talking points" to their employees, there is implicit if not explicit intimidation going on, even if it isn't violent.
This is extremely stupid, period.

To TORW:
Aaron Klein is the Jerusalem bureau chief for the ultra conservative news site WorldNetDaily.com and is a columnist for the Jewish Press. He is known for his regular segments and commentary on
right wing radio programs as well as for his appearances on
Fox News and has been questioned on several occasion as to his shaky reporting. Need I say more?

"We have never encouraged our employees to attend Tea Parties. .... The links that were provided in the report are not links that we provide."
Wow, is that a non-denial denial or what? Note the caps on "Tea Parties", and the comment on the links.
Sheesh...

Of course they oppose a public plan, they're looking for this "reform" to be a boon to their profits. I mean look at what's on the table: a mandate that people be forced to buy their product, and a change in the law that makes individuals cover 35% of every dollar for health care, down from about the 20% that it is now (imagine if you have a hospital stay that costs $20,000.00, you'll be responsible for $7000.00 out of pocket instead of $4000.00, which gives them a net profit of $3000.00 just from this change in the law). And these are things that Republicans will actually agree to, so this is the "bipartisan" reform of which they speak. The public option is the only thing standing in their way from really running the table as a result of the supposed "health reform".

TPM published the memo United Healthcare sent to its employee. Pretty hard to deny. So much for the "grassroots" outpouring of rage. Further proof these people are nothing more than paid agitators trying to protect the insurance companies profits. That is why they are spending 1.4 million per day to stop reform while their profits have risen 424% on the backs of the middle class.

"Look, I fully support your right to opt out of Social Security and Medicare, but I want to see some action, not just actionless hyper-rhetoric on the internets. Start a movement right-wingers to get rid of those horribly socialist programs Social Security and Medicare. Otherwise, you're completely full of crap."
It Cant be done!!! Once these programs are implemented they never go away. How can elected officials get people dependent on social services and then stop the program? Thats why this healthcare plan is so dangerous. If it gets passed then it will be here forever.

I am an employee at United Healthcare, at a management level. This report is absolutely false. I have not once seen any materials advising any employees of the company to attend Tea Parties. The documents that the company has sent out to employees encourages us to attend town halls and voice or opinions in a respectful manner. United Healthcare does not tell us what to say, but of course we oppose government run healthcare, duh!

"change in the law that makes individuals cover 35% of every dollar for health care, down from about the 20% that it is now (imagine if you have a hospital stay that costs $20,000.00, you'll be responsible for $7000.00 out of pocket instead of $4000.00, which gives them a net profit of $3000.00"
Yeah I suppose health insurance companies can just grow more money on their money trees and cover the full 100%. What world do you live in where you pay $50 bucks a month ($600 year) ($6000 10 years) and expect someone to be able to take that and pay your ($20,000 - $100,000 medical bills) at the average interest they make they would only have $18,000 dollars max from the money you gave them. Can somebody pay my mortgage for me as long as your handing out free money?

QUOTE:This is the most corrupt, crazy, delusional, intimidating and violent administration in the history of the United States. These morons can't ride a bicycle and they want to buy a Harley on our dime. ----- Uh, Bush is no longer Prez.

"change in the law that makes individuals cover 35% of every dollar for health care, down from about the 20% that it is now (imagine if you have a hospital stay that costs $20,000.00, you'll be responsible for $7000.00 out of pocket instead of $4000.00, which gives them a net profit of $3000.00"
Yeah I suppose health insurance companies can just grow more money on their money trees and cover the full 100%. What world do you live in where you pay $50 bucks a month ($600 year) ($6000 10 years) and expect someone to be able to take that and pay your ($20,000 - $100,000 medical bills) at the average interest they make they would only have $18,000 dollars max from the money you gave them. Can somebody pay my mortgage for me as long as your handing out free money?

Interesting article from the Wall Street Journal for all of you that want to believe Democratic leaders about the Healthcare industry being the only villain.
R.O.I.: Will a Public Option Hurt Insurance Company Profits? --- Insurers' Profits Are So Slim, It Would Be Hard for Health Care Reform to Whittle Them Further
By Brett Arends
673 words
6 August 2009
The Wall Street Journal Online
WSJO
English
Copyright (c) 2009, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
The public debate over health-care reform has been dominated in recent days by the issue of the so-called "public option" -- namely whether the government should offer an insurance plan that competes with those offered by private insurers.
It's not clear whether that plan will pass, but the proposed changes have made many investors question what reform could mean for health insurance company stocks.
Many on both the right and left think a public plan will wipe out the high profits in the private insurance industry. But that aspect of a public option may be more symbolic than substantive. Health insurance companies aren't quite as profitable as many critics seem to think.
"For every premium dollar that they take in, about 83 cents goes out in medical costs -- doctors, hospitals, and drugs," says Carl McDonald, health insurance analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. The rest is spent on overhead. Net income comes to just a few cents per dollar of premiums.
Consider WellPoint, the biggest private health insurer on Wall Street, which has about 35 million customers nationwide. Last year, it paid out 83.6% of revenues in expenses. Net, after-tax income as a percentage of total revenue came to a princely 4.1%.
In other words, simply eliminating profits would only allow the public option to undercut the private sector by 4% or so.
Returns on assets, a key measure of profitability, are typically pretty modest too. According to analysis by FactSet, WellPoint's ROA has averaged 5.8% over the past five years, Aetna's, 4.2%. Those were, remember, supposedly boom years. UnitedHealth was higher, at 9.6%, but fell to 6.4% in 2008. These are reasonable, but hardly spectacular, results. By comparison, Wal-Mart averaged a 9.2% return on its assets and Dell, Inc. 12.4%.
Maybe the government should take over the retail sector too???? Look at the profits Wal-Mart and Dell post.

"Great way to spend my insurance premiums, a-holes. Talk about "significantly increasing costs..."
Yeah howard complain about how they spend your $2400 in premiums but don't complain about how your $25,000 in taxes are being spent. Keep suckling from the government tit.

"Great way to spend my insurance premiums, a-holes. Talk about "significantly increasing costs..."
Yeah howard complain about how they spend your $2400 in premiums but don't complain about how your $25,000 in taxes are being spent. Keep suckling from the government tit.

"change in the law that makes individuals cover 35% of every dollar for health care, down from about the 20% that it is now (imagine if you have a hospital stay that costs $20,000.00, you'll be responsible for $7000.00 out of pocket instead of $4000.00, which gives them a net profit of $3000.00"
Yeah I suppose health insurance companies can just grow more money on their money trees and cover the full 100%. What world do you live in where you pay $50 bucks a month ($600 year) ($6000 10 years) and expect someone to be able to take that and pay your ($20,000 - $100,000 medical bills) at the average interest they make they would only have $18,000 dollars max from the money you gave them. Can somebody pay my mortgage for me as long as your handing out free money?

"GOP health insurance bureaucrats ARE ALREADY RATIONING YOUR HEALTH CARE, yet you retarded brain-dead wingnut neanderthals are TOO STUPID to REALIZE IT! You hillbilly morons are dumber than a bag of ball peen hammers. GET THE F--K OFF THE PLANET, you nitwits." IF YOU PROMISE TO KILL YOURSELF IF THIS PROGRAM FAILS THEN I WILL VOTE FOR IT.

"GOP health insurance bureaucrats ARE ALREADY RATIONING YOUR HEALTH CARE, yet you retarded brain-dead wingnut neanderthals are TOO STUPID to REALIZE IT! You hillbilly morons are dumber than a bag of ball peen hammers. GET THE F--K OFF THE PLANET, you nitwits." IF YOU PROMISE TO KILL YOURSELF IF THIS PROGRAM FAILS THEN I WILL VOTE FOR IT.

Dear ok at 11:35: Your statement: QUOTE why is Obama was so hellbent to force everything Socialist down our throats? Heres a little thing the MSM left out during the election ...he was actually a member of the Socialist party in Chicago! Here's the Link: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=107418 UNQUOTE.
May I ask you a fair question? What is SOCIAL security? Would you like to ask the elderly if that is socialism? Just a fair question.... Shall we take that kind of socialism away from the elderly? You're gonna have a revolution on your hands, my friend!...

I agree with those who say SO FLIPPING WHAT. I am sick and tired of Obama and his cronies going after and attacking, using strong arm tactics, threats, impugning those opposed to this healthcare plan. Anytime anyone opposes him he reacts in a negative manner. He is just a low down dirty rotten scoundrel community organizer who has never left the streets of Chicago. His behavior is disgraceful. He is a liar and a fraud. I say fight back, do not bend over, and grab the ankles for this administration. A bunch of bullies and thugs run our country. It is time to send a message that you do not own us and you do not rule us. You have no authority to take away our liberties and freedoms.

"Scumbag, dishonorable, teabagging, astroturfing GODDAM GOP LIARS! I curse the GOP and the miserable sons of bitcches within it to HELL!" SURPRISINGLY WE ARE NOT THAT AFRAID OF HELL AFTER SPENDING ENOUGH TIME WITH YOU LIBERAL WING NUTS...ITS PROBABLY A STEP UP QUITE FRANKLY. I WOULD SAY IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A CALL TO ARMS BUT YOU DONT BELIEVE IN THE SECOND AMENDMENT SO ITS PROBABLY A CALL TO Q-TIPS AND PILLOWS.

"change in the law that makes individuals cover 35% of every dollar for health care, down from about the 20% that it is now (imagine if you have a hospital stay that costs $20,000.00, you'll be responsible for $7000.00 out of pocket instead of $4000.00, which gives them a net profit of $3000.00"
Yeah I suppose health insurance companies can just grow more money on their money trees and cover the full 100%. What world do you live in where you pay $50 bucks a month ($600 year) ($6000 10 years) and expect someone to be able to take that and pay your ($20,000 - $100,000 medical bills) at the average interest they make they would only have $18,000 dollars max from the money you gave them. Can somebody pay my mortgage for me as long as your handing out free money?

"Look, I fully support your right to opt out of Social Security and Medicare, but I want to see some action, not just actionless hyper-rhetoric on the internets. Start a movement right-wingers to get rid of those horribly socialist programs Social Security and Medicare. Otherwise, you're completely full of crap."
It Cant be done!!! Once these programs are implemented they never go away. How can elected officials get people dependent on social services and then stop the program? Thats why this healthcare plan is so dangerous. If it gets passed then it will be here forever.

"GOP health insurance bureaucrats ARE ALREADY RATIONING YOUR HEALTH CARE, yet you retarded brain-dead wingnut neanderthals are TOO STUPID to REALIZE IT! You hillbilly morons are dumber than a bag of ball peen hammers. GET THE F--K OFF THE PLANET, you nitwits."
If you want the government to run the country then why don't you move to Canada, France or England. We have the greatest nation in the world and now you democrats want to be like everybody else. Why do you think people from other countries come to the U.S. for specialized care, because we have the best doctors in the world. Healthcare should be provided for those of us in need (the sick, the disabled, single parents...etc). But most of us in this country are tired of giving handouts to the lazy people in this country that don't want achieve things for themselves. This country was founded on the principle of "you can be anything that you want to be." If that means you want to be a slacker then you will get the things that come with that. Democrats need to figure out how to get these people jobs first and foremost.

"""Yeah howard complain about how they spend your $2400 in premiums but don't complain about how your $25,000 in taxes are being spent."""
Actually, it's closer to $6,000 per person for health care. And ya know, I kinda like roads, bridges that don't fall down like in Pawlenty's Minnesota, social security helping my grandmother, and all the things that taxes buy. If you don't like the roads, stay home. I am happy to pay my share of taxes for the betterment of all citizens EVEN THOUGH the vast majority of my hard-earned tax dollars go to Red States. I'm happy to do it because I am an American. Once more, if you don't like having a government, stay home 24/7 with your insane screaching idols or move to another country. Period, end of story.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention. Where is all this money that I am supposedly reaping from hard working Americans? I have a really good position at UHG but just like the rest of you my salary was frozen this year with no bonus. Have you looked at health care stocks in the last couple years? Our stock is down 50% due to declining membership because people are losing their jobs. Democrats need to worry about fixing the economy and getting people back to work first and foremost, not adding trillions of dollars to our national debt.

Insane nubag says: """You have no authority to take away our liberties and freedoms."""
Name a single freedom or civil liberty that this administration has taken from you.
Just ONE. Waiting for your reply (to see how bat****e insane it is).

"What world do you live in where you pay $50 bucks a month ($600 year) ($6000 10 years) and expect someone to be able to take that and pay your ($20,000 - $100,000 medical bills) at the average interest they make they would only have $18,000 dollars max from the money you gave them."

What world do you live in where you only pay $50 a month for health insurance? The average is over $400 a month, for some (young people who managed to snap up a good deal at the right time) it's less, for others (older people, and ESPECIALLY people who've been sick before), it's A LOT more.

"It Cant be done!!! Once these programs are implemented they never go away."

I don't want them to go away, I want you and everyone else who opposes "socialism" to be able to opt out of them (just like I want the choice to be able to opt in to a public health insurance option--give me that choice, and I support your right to have your choice). Just remember that it's for life, and there is no changing your mind once you get old and realize that you actually need those programs.

You mean Americans don't think opposing a stupid political idea is wrong? Listen to big "O" on television lying and avoiding the truth, he seems to think we are stupid. Lets get the Dem's out next year and resind and recover our values. Those who vote for barney franks (small case for a small person) need to identify themselves as alternative to American values.

"Paul, nobody cares about you, nobody cares about your stocks and nobody cares about your shilling. Take your crocodile tears and get back to your corporate free lunch you coward."
Haha, that is a good one. You are calling me a coward over the internet

"""You are calling me a coward over the internet"""
Sorry, you just make it so obvious for all the world to see. I'd tell you to your face too. You are a shill and a coward. Why don't you join a Tea Party? Better yet, why don't you PAY someone to protest for you. That's more your style.

The employees of all the "52 companies" that Waxman is going after should have a voice. They are trying to control private companies and it's none of the governments business. In fact, I'm going to start a community organzation group and call it the 52. There are hundred of thousands of people that work in these companies and we have to look out for our futures.
Who would have thought, I'm a community organizer!

Shorter OBSP: "Wahhhhhh! I want MORE corporate profits on the backs of the poor! WAHHH!" Haha. Must be hard to breathe with your head so firmly up your rectum. You and Paul here are the REASON why America has demanded and will receive CHANGE from the previous 8 years of all-out disaster.

Capitalism is at the heart of the problem. Can't people see why this is the case? Insurance companies don't give a damn about you, they run a BUSINESS. It is all about the bottom line and that is what capitalism breeds.
walmart putting mom and pop stores out of buisiness = capitalism
insurance companies posting record profits while 46 million people are uninsured = capitalism
Maybe socialism and capitalism mix (what we already have essentially) wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Come on ignorant redneck gun toting conservatives, change is a good thing.

This is so typical of all the Republican Nutters out there. On the one hand they acknowledge that the system is broken and unsustainable then just figure somehow it will fix itself. They yell that they don't want to pay for other peoples health care and then ignore the fact that the people who have private insurance pay anywhere from 2500 to 6000 dollars for uninsured Americans.
They talk about government ration health care and conveniently ignore the millions of denied claims every year by private health care. (yeah thats rationing). Same nonsense with death panels. Insurance companies have panels that specifically determine when its not worth it to continue treatments. Yes thats a death panel.
Medicare is single payer because government pays doctors but does not employ the doctors or own the hospitals. I dare you guys to try to take that from the seniors.
VA medical is socialist because it owns the hospitals and the employees are employed by the government.
I dare you guys to try and take that from the vets.
So why do you idiots on the right persist in the lies, propaganda and out and out stupidity? And yes I just hit all your significant Truth based talking points. So PLEASE exercise some rational thought

Obama and his attempts to seize control of the healthcare industry, the cap-and trade bill all plans designed to take freedom and liberty away from people. Did some of you people just crawl out from under a rock? Because you are not paying attention. All of Obama policies and actions are designed to strip away our freedoms and liberties. Open up your local newspaper, watch the alphabet channels, your cable channels, you will find his take away freedom and liberty plans there. You must be only listening to Obama spewing lies everyday and making his phony promises to the people, or you agree with his agenda, in which case this explains your behavior. Obama is out there preaching lies trying to guilt Americans into trading your liberty for what he tells you will be safety, and security of our health. All BS and he knows it. Obama in his quest to seize control over our healthcare has gotten to the point where he is attacking the American people opposed to this plan, telling people to get out of way, shut up, telling people do not bet against me. Sending in union thugs to punch back twice as hard to those opposed. He is behaving like a despot. His behavior is like a scene out of the Godfather. He does not want to lead, he wants to rule. The role of the US government is to secure our unalienable rights, not seize them. He has no authority to seize our unalienable rights. Maybe people need to take a look at the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence, this is our founding document, and it states clearly that we as human beings have certain unalienable rights that have been given to us by GOD, not man and not by any government. Now I know Obama suffers from a GOD complex, and recently said we are Gods partner in the matter of life and death, this is exactly the stuff I am talking about with Obama, he has no authority to decide such matters, let alone seize our God given rights. We are in a struggle with good versus evil right now and Obama certainly has shown his dark side. Time for all FREEDOM LOVING PATRIOTS to rise up and take back our country from Obama and his cronies before it is too late.

TORW at 01:13 PM -- if by "opting out" of social security and Medicare you mean I won't have to pay FICA taxes if I agree not to collect social security or go on Medicare when I retire, please, tell me where to sign up for that deal.

You had several not-for-profit managed care companies in the 80's and 90's and they all went bust because they community rated and were required to provide everything for free, just like what is proposed now. They only two major players that are not-for-profit are Kaiser and Harvard who's premium are not lower than the UHC or Cigna's do a fact check.

This goes to August 20, 2009 at 02:30 PM
Okay here goes. Take your post substitute George Bush wherever you see Obama and substitute Iraq war wherever you entered Health Care.
Now read that post. 2 years ago you would think the liberal writing that was a deranged, crazy conspiracy nut. Well that my friend is what I see when I read your crazy, deranged rant. This scary paranoia is a sickness get help.

Public option, Co-op, NO choice,NO competition; the terminology are just propanganda tools. BHO's objective will always be the same; Govt. Takeover Single Payer HC. "Control the peoples medicine and you will control the people" - Karl Marx. Heres a little thing the MSM left out during the election ...BHO was actually a member of the Socialist party in Chicago;
Here's the Link: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=107418

Whatever, you can try to spin this, as I am a deranged, crazy conspiracy nut, spewing crazy, deranged rants. You just refuse to find any fault regarding your messiah. I may not have agreed with Bush and all his decisions, but he is nothing like Obama. Bush lead, Obama wants to rule. Bush loves his country and every day he was in office did his very best for the people, he understood he worked for the people, Obama does not, and he looks down at the people, and thinks we are here to serve him. Obama runs around apologizing to the world saying America is lacking, it is immoral. Bush never did this, he talked about America?s greatness. Bush respects the men and women who serve their country. He reminded us every time he spoke. Obama does not, he only talks about the men, and women when it benefits him, he uses them as props. He has troops in Afghanistan fighting yet according to him we are not at war, and victory is not the goal. I could go on, but I would be here all day and I think you get my message. Go try to spin your crazy moonbat crap somewhere else.

To August 20, 2009 at 03:36 PM.
Was that koolaide good going down. Again when you you speak about Bush it gives me chills. I doubt a reeducation is more effective than whoever programmed all the crazy nonsense you continue to proclaim proudly. Seriously man get help you have been programmed. I bet even some of your sides supporters are cringing at your post. You come across as a crazy fanatic

Paul, it's obvious that you're spurrin' a dead horse! It just won't gidde up and go! A lot like these Liberal retards who refuse to work and earn their own way in the world. Now their limited frontal lobe development has forced them to attack your sense of reason because they have no means to operate under less than average brain functions! I don't recall any mention, in the Constitution, of the United States being an insurance company. I do however, remember when all the Liberals/Democraps were screaming at top of their lungs about what a racist Bush was for not bending over and "Giving" the idiots of New Orleans, (who refused warnings to evacuate in the presence of a Cat4 hurricane), carte' blanch to the Federal Coffers without a thought to whether it was Constitutionally legal. That's precisely when the Federal government became the largest insurer in the world! Or was it when some Liberal circuit court Judge started handing out restitutions to family members of the 9/11 attacks, like "We the People" were assigned the blame for their LOSSES! Once again,"I" became an involuntary premium payer, to the United States of America Insurance Company, LLC! There's a recurring theme here isn't there. Let us look at the unconstutional takeover of automotive manufacturers. Convenient truths are VERY obvious in this endeavor. Own 60% of the company by using the taxpayers hard earned money to pay off the very Union Leadership, (whose members' salaries and shotty craftsmanship are the reason for the failure), for their "special assistance" in the election process. I?m NOW an involuntary owner in a car company that I never in my life EVEN bought a vehicle from because they "Create Vacuum"! The primary problem I have with this, aside from the fact that the "takeover" was ILLEGAL as HELL, is that I have absolutely NO MEANS of making a red cent off my "Special investment" in these companies through what would ordinarily be a dividend paid from stock. And these Liberal butt munches have the audacity to assume that "WE the People" will tolerate payin' for the terminal illnesses suffered by Nancy "Profit Sharing" Pelosi's A.I.D.S. infested constituents from the San ***cisco Bay area!! I've had enough!! YEP, like it's MY FAULT they choose to live a nihilistic lifestyle then expect the rest of us, who don't throw rocks at GOD by living a queer lifestyle, to pay for their indignant choices. Yep, now I'm labeled by the Liberal/Progressive members of Congress AND their mindless minion constituents by the hoards, as being a redneck gun slingin' Nazi racist, fear monger, hatred spewin' backwoods ...Hillbilly? Well, if Y'all insist...I know my heart and so does GOD, so whatever the "sinless Liberals" decide to spew and spout about me matters little in the long run. This whole topic is not even about "HEALTH CARE" or health insurance. It's about the fact that the Government/Democrats want to get into our personal lives and most precious, private matters and liberties by forcing us to relinquish our right to privacy offered through the very Federal government that passed the HIPA Law. Talk about hypocrisy! Once the Congress has the power AND legal footing to mettle with our most sacred of liberties, being our privacy and medical records, the floodgates will open and all will succumb the ultimate power of refusal and denial!! Mark my words- if Politico doesn't abuse my 1st Amendment right and delete this post.

And this is a story why? Even if it were true, United Health and their employees are still Americans, and Americans are welcome to protest if they want to. If United Health wishes to PAY it's employees to protest, that's their business. If it's employees want to protest on their own, that's their business. Public Option is not in the best interest of the insurance company (or America, for that matter). Why WOULDN'T United Health, and the employees who might be out of a job if it passes, be protesting against it?

"""Bush loves his country and every day he was in office did his very best for the people"""
........... Except 9/11, Katrina, and the Economic Crisis... And Iraq and Plame outing and drive to privatize social security and politicization of the DOJ and torture and warrantless spying on Americans and............. on and on and on......

Paul, it's obvious that you're spurrin' a dead horse! It just won't gidde up and go! A lot like these Liberal retards who refuse to work and earn their own way in the world. Now their limited frontal lobe development has forced them to attack your sense of reason because they have no means to operate under less than average brain functions! I don't recall any mention, in the Constitution, of the United States being an insurance company. I do however, remember when all the Liberals/Democraps were screaming at top of their lungs about what a racist Bush was for not bending over and "Giving" the idiots of New Orleans, (who refused warnings to evacuate in the presence of a Cat4 hurricane), carte' blanch to the Federal Coffers without a thought to whether it was Constitutionally legal. That's precisely when the Federal government became the largest insurer in the world! Or was it when some Liberal circuit court Judge started handing out restitutions to family members of the 9/11 attacks, like "We the People" were assigned the blame for their LOSSES! Once again,? I? became an involuntary premium payer, to the United States of America Insurance Company, LLC! There's a recurring theme here isn't there. Let us look at the unconstutional takeover of automotive manufacturers. Convenient truths are VERY obvious in this endeavor. Own 60% of the company by using the taxpayers hard earned money to pay off the very Union Leadership, (whose members' salaries and shotty craftsmanship are the reason for the failure), for their "special assistance" in the election process. I?m NOW an involuntary owner in a car company that I never in my life EVEN bought a vehicle from because they "Create Vacuum"! The primary problem I have with this, aside from the fact that the "takeover" was ILLEGAL as HELL, is that I have absolutely NO MEANS of making a red cent off my "Special investment" in these companies through what would ordinarily be a dividend paid from stock. And these Liberal butt munches have the audacity to assume that "WE the People" will tolerate payin' for the terminal illnesses suffered by Nancy "Profit Sharing" Pelosi's A.I.D.S. infested constituents from the San ***cisco Bay area!! I've had enough!! YEP, like it's MY FAULT they choose to live a nihilistic lifestyle then expect the rest of us, who don't throw rocks at GOD by living a queer lifestyle, to pay for their indignant choices. Yep, now I'm labeled by the Liberal/Progressive members of Congress AND their mindless minion constituents by the hoards, as being a redneck gun slingin' Nazi racist, fear monger, hatred spewin' backwoods ...Hillbilly? Well, if Y'all insist...I know my heart and so does GOD, so whatever the "sinless Liberals" decide to spew and spout about me matters little in the long run. This whole topic is not even about "HEALTH CARE" or health insurance. It's about the fact that the Government/Democrats want to get into our personal lives and most precious, private matters and liberties by forcing us to relinquish our right to privacy offered through the very Federal government that passed the HIPA Law. Talk about hypocrisy! Once the Congress has the power AND legal footing to mettle with our most sacred of liberties, being our privacy and medical records, the floodgates will open and all will succumb the ultimate power of refusal and denial!! Mark my words- if Politico doesn't abuse my 1st Amendment right and delete this post.

No, I speak the truth. The left is afraid of the truth. All you can do is name call. You have yet to disprove anything I have said. You are emotionally invested in Obama, therefore will never find fault with him. Until you start to see Obama the politician and not Obama the cult figure, I do not expect you to agree with me, and I will not waste my time on you.

"""The left is afraid of the truth. All you can do is name call."""
.......... The public option will bring down the cost of health insurance to consumers by providing choice. ......... Debate that on the merits without using the red herring of "socialism"....... Can you? Doubt it.

I also work at UHG and Paul is correct. No one has been paid to protest. We have been encouraged to voice our opinions. We did not get raises this year so that we would not have to lay off employees. I work in the call center and every day, we get call from people who need help. That's our job; to help people. It has been fashonable to hate the insurance companies for a long time and as unprofessional as it is, it is okay for the doctors to bad mouth the companies to the patients. Maybe part of the reform would be to educate the offices on proper claim submission so that the docs would get paid on time and stop blaming the insurance companies. oh, and we offer free advertising for the contracted pracitices. No one ever mentioned that. Not everyone who is employed at UHC is opposed to a one payer plan either. UHC has always encouraged the employees to have an opinion and to be active in your own future as well as healthcare. One more thing, most of us have an HSA. Try to manage your healthcare expenses on a middle class income with an HSA. Personally, I don't want to lose my job, but I wish I had better coverage.

Um no at 05:29 PM -- There are better ways to provide "choice" in the health insurance market than a government takeover. Let people purchase policies across state lines. Eliminate state mandates on what must be covered so insurers can offer a range of policies (from low-premium high-deductible to so-called "Cadillac" plans). Give individuals who purchase insurance the same tax breaks that companies get. Better yet, de-couple health insurance from employment so that it's portable.

The problem with the public option is that it will drive private insurers out of business. As written, the House bill will require ALL insurance policies to provide the same benefits, but the public option won't have to make a profit and its losses will be subsidized by taxpayers.

If the public option would compete on a level playing field with private insurers, I would agree it would add another "choice." But in fact, the public option (and H.R. 3200 in general) will end up taking choices away.

I'd go on my own accord but I have a JOB. I also have an EDUCATION which allows me to think for myself and not be a puppet riding in a school bus to support an agenda that belittles me and tells me I can't succeed because of my race or ethnic heritage.

And this is a story why? Even if it were true, United Health and their employees are still Americans, and Americans are welcome to protest if they want to. If United Health wishes to PAY it's employees to protest, that's their business. If it's employees want to protest on their own, that's their business. Public Option is not in the best interest of the insurance company (or America, for that matter). Why WOULDN'T United Health, and the employees who might be out of a job if it passes, be protesting against it?
Posted By: oldageandtreachery | August 20, 2009 at 04:39 PM
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What about the people who are FOR health care reform? Why should anyone be pressured by their employee to conform to a political agenda? That is what is called a hostile work environment. And it's against the law.

Why are Americans are so scared of change its scary, & the heaath industry ($$$$$$$$) has the public by the Balls
& we dont even realize it. Then you have politicians spreading rumors and people talking about Obama is a socialist, nazi plans he has with health care, why dont we research and find the truth. Well you know what has drained the "Greatest Country In The World" THE INVASION OF IRAQ" & "THE GREED OF AMERICAN COMPANY'S". Wakeup no plan is perfect not even medicare or medicaid!!!!!

The policy at HCSC used to be to encourage employees to educate themselves on the issues and be active in the political process. The new management pushes slanted, hyperbolic propaganda on employees. They've gone so far as to "helpfully" provide a link to your congress rep, display your home address, and 'suggest' you add your employee ID to your message. That just feels like crossing a line - it's intrusive and my politics, like my religious beliefs, are none of their business.

I use to work in the health care field getting authorization for procedures for our patients from mostly private insurance companies. I can say first hand that insurance companies do everything in their power to get out of paying for procedures for their insured. United Health Care was the worst of them that I had to deal with. In fact, there was so much red tape and denials from UHC, that there was a division in our company who's only job was to try to get them to pay for needed health care for our patient. These insurance companies have had too much power for too long and need to have some competition. People are worried about the government having these so called death panels??? People....our current private health care providers have their own death panels and make life and death decisions about you everyday. I am all for a public option and reform is needed badly!

You folks don't realize, but the uninsured and underinsured American people are paying the costs for healthcare of all the fully insured Americans. That's right. You see if you buy a coke, you are paying a price that includes the cost of coca cola's health plan to its employees. Every company puts the cost of their healthcare program into the price of their product. Because U.S. healthcare costs are so expensive many of our businesses become uncompetititve in the market place and either lose business to countries with lower costs or cut benefits. We already pay a huge hidden tax for healthcare insurance, but not everyone gets the insurance and many lose it when they lose their jobs.
Just wondering out here how many of you.
1. Believe our present healthcare system is fine.
2. Believe healthcare costs are out of control.
3. Believe that if you lose your job you should lose your insurance.
4. Believe that the supervisor at your job should decided if you get health insurance or not.
5. Believe that if you have a pre-existing condition you should not get health insurance.
6. Believe that if your company is run by a bunch of idiots and they go bankrupt you should lose your insurance.
7. Believe that the insurance companies are against the Obama bill because they think its better for America rather than for them.
The fact is, Republicans love insurance companies and rich people and want no reform at all. We know this because when they had a chance to do it, they did nothing. We also know the big debate among the Democrats is the question of having a public insurance company compete with the private insurers to keep costs down. Just like water. We have a public works that you can buy water from, but you can buy bottled water from whoever wants to make it. But, if public water wasn't available, the price of private water would sky rocket.

Why can't the radical Democrats understand that people do not want socialism. They continually try to brand the citizens as anti-American and blame everybody but themselves for their failures. WE don't need insurance company money or influence to smell a dead fish, anymore than Obama needs union thugs to try and force or intimidate us to accept the bogus plan.

In 2008 I had heart surgery to the tune of a quarter million dollars.
Our insurance carrier paid everything but a few thousand dollars. Even extended care - no hassle. Will the government do the same!?

This is just par for the course with UnitedHealth. Not only are they busing their employees to rallies, but are also demanding that they scream out their talking points.

They also own their own propaganda firm!

That's right! It is called The Lewin Group, which is part of Ingenix, a UnitedHealth subsidiary!

From the Washington Post: The political battle over health-care reform is waged largely with numbers, and few number-crunchers have shaped the debate as much as the Lewin Group, a consulting firm whose research has been widely cited by opponents of a public insurance option.

To Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House Republican whip, it is "the nonpartisan Lewin Group." To Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee, it is an "independent research firm." To Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the second-ranking Republican on the pivotal Finance Committee, it is "well known as one of the most nonpartisan groups in the country."

Generally left unsaid amid all the citations is that the Lewin Group is wholly owned by UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest insurers.

More specifically, the Lewin Group is part of Ingenix, a UnitedHealth subsidiary that was accused by the New York attorney general and the American Medical Association, a physician's group, of helping insurers shift medical expenses to consumers by distributing skewed data. Ingenix supplied its parent company and other insurers with data that allegedly understated the "usual and customary" doctor fees that insurers use to determine how much they will reimburse consumers for out-of-network care.

In January, UnitedHealth agreed to a $50 million settlement with the New York attorney general and a $350 million settlement with the AMA, covering conduct going back as far as 1994.

United Health Group's CEO Bill McGuire's salary for the last three years has been $100 million per year--about $10 for every cancer victim's bills UHG claimed were not covered. In addition, Bill received $1.6 billion in stock options, so do you conservatives understand that he could really care less about you and if you have the misfortune of having UHG insurance and get sick, he will try to get out of paying your bills too. Bill has 1.6 billion reasons to oppose the public option I bet you conservative lemmings do not.

The insurance companies and lobbyists are behind this with the money for ads, etc. They have a lot to loose and dont want to give up control. I would like for them to have some competition and I favor the public option. This is the only way we can get them to stop raising our costs, dumping us off our policies and interfering with our doctors. I have had multiple experiences with the insurance companies and they are not our friends. They are in it for the money..it's a business not to help us with our health needs. No company should tell a doctor what a patient needs. If he says they need 6 sessions of therapy...that is what they need.

Thanks to "the real truth" for posting a very eye opening article. I would encourage everyone to read it if you havent already.

Along with what we have learned here, we can see that United Health has a pretty big dog in the anti-health care reform hunt, and stands to keep on making record profits should health care reform fail to pass. When your CEO stands to make billions in compensation should health care reform fail, that is a pretty big motivator. What is sad is the way so many people are being used as foolish pawns in the astroturf tea-bagger parties.